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Yes, but it's still somewhat shocking to see things actually happening. :lol: I can't believe Wikileaks or anyone else never really dug anything up on the likes of FIFA or the IOC. They must have tighter security than the US government.

Yes, but it's still somewhat shocking to see things actually happening. :lol: I can't believe Wikileaks or anyone else never really dug anything up on the likes of FIFA or the IOC. They must have tighter security than the US government.

The bitter truth is that football fans all over the world simply don't care. As long as the ball is rolling, FIFA officials could commit a genocide and fans still would look forward to the FIFA World Cup...

It's not a coincidence that the American authorities are responsible for the arrests. In any other part of the world nobody would have dared to do that, because the golden calf which is football (or soccer to our American friends) mustn't be touched. It's bread and circuses and would you rather have those fans live out their phantasies of violence outside the stadium?

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The bitter truth is that football fans all over the world simply don't care. As long as the ball is rolling, FIFA officials could commit a genocide and fans still would look forward to the FIFA World Cup...

Evidently people do care, but there's nothing individual people can do. Stop watching the World Cup? "Great, they lose 1 viewer which they won't even notice, and I don't get to watch the World Cup". Pressure sponsors or broadcasters into demanding change? Even if they did pull support, someone else would snap up the deal. Then there's the significant number of fans in poorer countries for whom farces like Brazil and Qatar are stuff that they deal with every day, why should they care? The only people (other than high-ranking FIFA officials) who can actually do something are UEFA. Threaten to pull out of 2018 World Cup if the leadership isn't changed and Qatar decision looked at and watch heads roll at FIFA.

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I wouldn't have a problem with UEFA pulling out of the World Cup. None at all.

But will it happen? Would a majority of European fans support it? Nope.

And that's the sad reality.

And what about the sponsors? Yes, they play being shocked now. But let's be honest: They knew all along the FIFA is an organization with mafia-like structures. And now they are shocked? Oh, cry me a river. What a bunch of pathetic hypocrites, really.

I think it's more along what Delll said: People do care, but they also know that there is no chance of change happening. World football (and other sports in similar fashion) is deeply corrupt because it there's too much money in it to be otherwise. And we might as well enjoy it.

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Not that I have the gift of prevision but what happened and what led to the arrests, happened far too close to Blatter and it's -- mildly put -- extremely unlikely that he never knew anything about it.

'K, I watched some of the Canada vs. China opener yesterday. A bit of a dull game really, finished off with China being mugged in the last minute with a soft-ish pen for Canada, from which they scored.

Good for the Hosts, the Tournament and crowds.

(It probabaly was a penalty I suppose, just seemed a bit unjust as China deserved a point, even though they were a bit boring.)

Now don't get me wrong, it is still horrible, but not a straight comparison as the chart suggests: the Washington Post has since updated the chart because they don't have the actual numbers for just the World Cup stadiums, only totals for the whole country.

So yes, that many workers as the chart shows have died in Qatar, but not all the workers who died were working on the World Cup.

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I only saw GER - FRA from the 100th minute or so, but that was entertaining. And those ladies (including the French) are better penalty shootouters than most of the male footballers I've seen do it in the past years...